


Warmth

by clarako_ (CoNic18)



Category: The Resident (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 04:22:00
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25657357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CoNic18/pseuds/clarako_
Summary: This is a spin-off on 02x06, Nightmares, where Nic has a panic attack at Mina's Halloween party. I hope you enjoy!Warning: This story includes descriptions of panic attacks and unintended self-harm, and mentions death, blood, nudity, PTSD, drugs, and alcohol. I chose not to rate this story, but reader discretion is advised.I do not own these characters.
Relationships: Conrad Hawkins/Nicolette Nevin
Comments: 7
Kudos: 38





	Warmth

Nic sunk down along the cabinets in Mina’s kitchen, making contact with the cold, hard floor. The world was spinning. She couldn’t get enough oxygen into her lungs. Her breathing was heavy, irregular, and fast, her chest heaving. Her vision was blurry. She couldn’t hear anything but the sound of her heart racing. Her fists clenched so tight she felt her nails digging into the skin on her palms. But she couldn’t stop. She was no longer in control. Her brain was hijacked by a flood of panic and anxiety.

“Nic? What the hell are you doing on the floor? What’s going—” Jessie began. “Oh my God, are you okay?” she asked when she saw Nic trying to rip her costume off from around her neck. They were at Mina’s Halloween party in her apartment, and Nic had just started having a panic attack. She was unable to move and felt like she couldn’t breathe, and Jessie was right up next to her the moment she noticed something was wrong. “Hey, everything is going to be okay,” she said, trying to reassure Nic and calm her down.

“I-I-I’m… sorry… Jessie,” Nic said, stumbling and stuttering over her words as she gulped in air, trying to get enough so she could breathe. She continued pulling on the fabric around her neck until there was nothing left as she tried to fill her lungs.

“Nic what’s happening?” Jessie asked, placing a loving hand on Nic’s shoulder.

“I… get… panic… attacks… someti-sometimes…” Nic replied, tears filling her eyes and falling uncontrollably. “I can’t breathe… I… can’t… breathe…” she whimpered.

“I’m calling Conrad,” Jessie said nervously, unsure of what else to do. Nic was always the one taking care of her, and now that the roles were reversed, she saw just how scary, hard, and how much responsibility this caretaker role was. She wanted to take away all of Nic’s pain. And all the pain she had caused her. She pulled out her phone and found Conrad’s number.

“N-n-no,” Nic whispered, trembling and gasping for breath. “He’s busy…”

“Nic, you need help, and I know Conrad will be the best help to you,” Jessie replied, defeated and scared. She needed Nic, and she didn’t realize until then that she needed her more than she could have ever imagined. She loved her very much, and Nic always loved her back, no matter how bad things got. Nic was her rock, and she needed to be there for her, too. Just like Nic always has been for her. “But I am right here now. Right here for you.”

Nic tried to reach for Jessie’s phone to stop her, but because her vision was so blurry and her hands trembling so much, it was a hopeless task.

“Conrad? It’s Nic. She is having a panic attack. She needs you,” Jessie said into the phone, her tone rushed. She listened for a moment to Conrad’s response. “Mina’s apartment. Thank you,” she whispered before hanging up. “Nic, you’re going to be okay. Just breathe,” she said, attempting to be calm for Nic.

But nothing was working to break Nic’s panic. She clenched her fists harder, her nails beginning to draw blood from her hands. Hot tears fell from her eyes, and her breathing only increased in speed and irregularity. She couldn’t speak. Her whole body was trembling as she slipped further away. Her eyes slammed closed. She saw her mother. She was holding her hand. It was the day before she died. Thanksgiving. Her hand was warm. But devoid of life. Then she was gone. That feeling was burned into her hand forever. Then she saw Jessie. She was holding her hand. It was the day before she OD’ed for the first time. Eight years ago. They were so young. She was unconscious. She found her on the floor of the apartment they shared, and she thought she had lost her. Her lifeless expression as she laid on the ground was etched into her memory forever. Her hand was warm. But devoid of life. Nic’s nails clawed at her own hands, trying to remove that horrible feeling. They felt warm. Her warm blood. She wanted that wretched warmth out.

“Nic?” a familiar voice asked. But she couldn’t open her eyes. She felt hands on her shoulders slide down to her hands. They were warm. But they were full of life. They were kind. These were good hands. She felt her eyes relax, and she was able to open them and see who it was. Conrad. It was her Conrad.

He looked at Jessie and told her to move the guests into the other room so the amount of stimulus was limited for Nic, but all Nic could register was Conrad’s voice and lips moving. No coherent words. Jessie stood up, looking down at Nic, and her heart broke. She started ushering guests out, making sure people knew to steer clear of the kitchen for the time being.

“Nic, hey, everything is okay. You’re safe. I’m here. Can you hear me?” Conrad asked, his soft brown eyes looking at hers.

Nic nodded slowly, opening her hands to hold his. Blood trickled down both of their fingers from Nic’s hands, Conrad’s heart dropping as he realized what she had done to herself in her panic. She was still gasping for breath, and tears were falling fast down her face.

“That’s good,” he said softly. He checked her quickly for other injuries, and thankfully, he found none. “I’m here. And I’m not going anywhere. Just breathe. Close your eyes. Focus on my heartbeat,” he whispered, putting their intertwined hands to his chest. “Count my heartbeats,” he whispered as Nic whimpered, her breathing becoming a little more regular, but still heavy.

Nic started counting in her head, focusing only on the rhythmic beating of Conrad’s heart and the warmth from his hands and chest. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she let out a deep exhale.

“When you’re ready, count them out loud,” he whispered, wanting to be as soothing as possible. He watched her breathe, noticing she was beginning to normalize.

“One… two… three…” she said quietly, her voice shaky and weak as she counted his heartbeat. “Four… five… six…” she continued.

As she began, Jessie walked back into the room, careful not to disturb Nic.

“Seven… eight… nine…”

Jessie watched Nic and Conrad, and observed the care he took with her.

“Ten… eleven… twelve…”

The two of them on the floor with their hands interlaced and placed over Conrad’s heart was the picture of pure love.

“Thirteen… fourteen… fifteen…”

They would do anything for each other.

“Sixteen… seventeen… eighteen…”

Nic began to feel again. She felt the cold floor beneath her. The hard wood cabinets behind her. Conrad’s hands around hers. The burning from her cuts she dug into her hands. She felt it all. Slowly, it came back. Her irregular breathing turned into deep, controlled breaths that matched Conrad’s. She stopped counting. Her eyes slowly opened and drifted up to meet his. More tears fell. She moved her hands around his neck and pulled herself into his embrace. “Thank you, Conrad,” she whispered.

“Everything is going to be okay. I’ve got you,” he replied, feeling tears beginning to form in his own eyes. He held her as she cried into him, slowly moving his hands up and down her back.

Jessie simply watched, mesmerized by the power of love and care, until Conrad’s eyes caught hers. He motioned for her to come, so she slowly made her way to the space where they were sitting on the floor, and she crouched down.

Nic sniffled, noting Jessie’s presence, and she lifted her head. She unwrapped herself from Conrad and leaned over and hugged her sister. “I’m so sorry Jessie,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to break down like that in front of you,” she added, her voice still weak.

“Nic, please don’t apologize to me. You don’t have to be strong all the time. You’ve helped me so many times, and I never realized how much I needed you. When I saw that you needed me for a change, it hit me just how much of a responsibility being a caretaker is. I should be the one apologizing. You do so much for me and everybody else. I’m sorry I didn’t understand. I’m sorry for putting you through all this,” Jessie said quietly, stroking Nic’s hair as she squeezed her tight.

“Jessie,” Nic whispered. “I love you. You’re my sister, we do anything to help each other. It’s just what family does.”

“I love you, too, Nic,” Jessie replied, her voice breaking, too.

“You,” Nic began, releasing her grip on Jessie and directing her comment at both Conrad and her sister, “both of you, are the most important people in my life.” She leaned back into Conrad as he wrapped his arms around her.

“You’re my whole world, Nic,” Conrad said softly, blinking away the tears from his eyes. “How are you feeling right now?” he asked gently, the vibrations from his voice tickling her neck.

“I’m still a little dizzy, and my hands are killing me,” Nic responded, opening up her hands and looking at the bloody mess she caused.

“Hey Jessie,” Conrad began, “can you grab some water?” he asked, noticing Jessie's nervous expression.

“Sure,” Jessie replied, totally freaked out by Nic’s bleeding, standing up and grabbing a glass from Mina’s cupboards.

“Let’s take care of these,” Conrad whispered, softly touching Nic’s hands. He pulled out some antiseptic and gauze from his medical bag, and he started working on wrapping her hands. She grimaced a little as he worked on her, but he was gentle and he held her with so much love and care. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as Conrad finished up. He kissed the side of her face and she opened her eyes and smiled softly. Jessie returned with the water and gave the glass to Conrad who helped Nic drink it carefully.

“So… we don’t have to, but if you want to talk about it––” Conrad began.

“In a little bit,” Nic interrupted. “I just need to be with both of you right now,” she exhaled.

“I completely understand,” Conrad replied. “Whatever you need, Jessie and I are here for you.”

“Thank you,” Nic whispered.

They all sat for a few moments in silence, simply breathing and allowing their emotions to settle. Nic’s hands were wrapped in white gauze, making her look a little bit like an MMA fighter, but her small frame and slumped posture made her look so fragile. Conrad ran his fingers through her hair as she closed her eyes, allowing the peace and calm to take over her once panic-ridden body. Jessie’s hand was on Nic’s knee, drawing little circles with her finger, and her eyes were locked on Nic. She watched her breathing, and she took note of every single minuscule movement Nic made, remembering the completely different nature of her movements a short while ago.

Keys jingled outside the door, and Mina came through, noticing all of the guests were miraculously not present in the main room and Nic, Conrad, and Jessie were in a pile on the floor. “What the hell happened here?” she asked.

Nic’s eyes flung open, and she felt a pang of guilt when she saw how confused and concerned Mina looked. “Mina, I am so sorry, this is all my fault. You put me in charge of this, and I––” she began.

“It’s not Nic’s fault at all,” Jessie interrupted. “I sent everybody into the other room, so if you’re going to blame anyone, blame me.”

“Okay, somebody better tell me everything. Conrad, what the hell happened? Why are you here? And what happened to your hands, Nic? And were you… crying? Yeah, I need updates. And fast,” Mina said quickly with a swelling of concern in her voice.

“Everything was fine,” Nic began, “then at some point, I just couldn’t breathe. Everything felt blurry, and my heart was racing. When I realized I was having a panic attack, it was already too late to do anything about it myself. I needed help, and Jessie and Conrad were here to help me. I get these often, but it hasn’t been this bad in a while.”

“Oh my God, I am so sorry, Nic,” Mina replied, kneeling down to meet Nic’s eyes with her own. “I didn’t know you got panic attacks frequently,” she added, looking at her inquisitively.

“It’s not something I really promote, you know?” Nic said, almost ashamed.

“How long has this been happening?” Conrad asked.

“Ever since my mom died,” Nic whispered, not meeting anyone's eyes.

“Nic, that was when you were thirteen,” Mina replied, looking both horrified and deeply saddened.

“You’ve been suffering like this for over fifteen years?” Conrad whispered, matching Mina’s expression.

“I didn’t want anybody to know because I hate that it happens. I figured everybody else has their problems to take care of––I mean you all do. Jessie, your addiction and rehab. Mina, your neighborhood community’s unmet needs. Conrad, your PTSD and rocky relationship with your father. You all don’t need any more stress added to your plates,” Nic replied, tears forming again in her eyes.

Conrad grabbed Nic’s shoulders and turned her around so she was facing him. “Nic,” he began, his tone so serious and sobering it was almost unsettling, “you are never a burden. Especially to the people who love you. I can’t even fathom how hard this has been for you all these years. But we are here for you. And you are not weak. Or a problem. Or a stressor. You are a human being. And you don’t have to be perfect at everything. You’re allowed to have stress, faults, and bad days. Not to say that this is a fault, but it’s okay to not be okay all the time. That’s what family is for. To lean on. Lean on us. We’re here for you, just like you’re here for all of us. Nic, you are a treasure. And if I am completely honest, you––and everything about you––are just about the most perfect thing on this earth. I love you––again, every single thing about you––and so do Jessie and Mina and everyone who is lucky enough to get to know you.” Tears were welling up in his eyes again as he spoke. He said that he loved her once, but this time it was different. It was deeper. He meant every single one of his words, including and especially that he loved her. He really did. She was family.

Nic’s beautiful chocolate eyes were also filling with tears, and a few streamed down her cheeks at Conrad’s words. He loved her. _He loved her._ She loved him too. He was family, too _._ She felt the gravity of his love pulling her in, and she leaned her face into his and kissed him passionately, unable to find adequate words to express how much what he just said meant to her. She removed her lips from his as they both let out a breath, and she pressed her forehead to his. “I love you, too, Conrad. I need you all so much, and I am so grateful to have you in my life,” she whispered. “My family,” she added quietly, looking back to Conrad.

Jessie and Mina exchanged looks of surprise and sweetness as Conrad conveyed his emotions––not one of his strong suits––and Nic and Conrad continued to embrace. “We are all here for you, Nic,” Mina added, with a brief moment of silence following. “But if I stay on this floor any longer, I am never going to be able to get up. I also have to kick thirty drunk people out of my apartment and pray they didn’t spill anything on my rug.”

Jessie laughed. “I’ll help,” she said as she stood, “seeing as I kind of am responsible for anything terrible that happened in there… it seems like the least I can do.” She gave Nic a quick kiss on her forehead before she left with Mina.

“How much do you want to bet there’s at least three different drinks on that rug?” Conrad teased.

“I’m not taking that bet because I guarantee you there are far too many spills to count. And they’re probably all on that rug. That’s how things like this work,” Nic giggled, then she slowly let it fade. “Hey Conrad,” she began after a few seconds of silence, looking up to his eyes. “Thank you. For everything,” she added, her voice wavering.

“Nic, please––” he began as she threw her arms around him again and pulled him into a tight embrace.

“I’m not perfect, and I know that. I’m trying. Just… don’t let me go,” she whispered.

“I would never. I’m here with you, for all of it––the good, the bad, the ugly, the big, the little, and all of the moments in between. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me,” he replied. “I love you, and that means I want to be with you to celebrate everything that is good in your life, but it also means I want to be here for when you break down. To wrap my arms around you. To tell you that you are beautiful, smart, and the damn strongest person I know. I want you to be able to tell me anything because I want to know absolutely everything about you. Nic, you’re my whole world. You make me want to be the best person I can be. You make me want to get up in the morning. You get me through my worst, and you don’t judge me for it. You put everyone else’s needs before your own, and you never complain. You find positives in everything. I have no idea how you do that. I love you more than words. I want your face to be the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see when I go to sleep. I want you to feel like you can fall asleep in my arms and not worry what you will look like or if you’ll drool on me or if you snore––which you do, by the way, and it’s the most adorable thing. I think you’re gorgeous no matter what, and nothing will ever change that. Because that’s what love is. I am always here for you, and that’s a promise I will keep for the rest of my life, no matter what happens between us. So, don’t thank me. I am the luckiest person on this earth because of you, and I’d do anything for you.”

“Conrad,” she began, “I––I don’t know what to say.”

“Yes you do,” Mina interjected, poking her head around the corner. “Nic, tell him what you told me before I left tonight.”

Nic blushed, and Conrad looked puzzled––probably because of a combination of realizing Mina was listening to their conversation and learning that Nic talks to Mina about him. “Conrad, I never knew where we were going. It was always fun, but I never felt like I knew the full, real you. And then you showed me all of you. You let me in. And for the first time, I felt connected to you in a deeper way. That scared the hell out of me. Because then, I knew that this relationship was one of the most important things in my life. You are one of the most important things in my life, Conrad. You were brave enough to fight for us even when I was conflicted. You put your heart on the line even when you weren’t sure if I would accept it. Because you love me. And when you told me you loved me for the first time, I felt that it was all so real. Love was and is the only way to describe what we have. I told Mina that when I think about my future, I see you in it. I see us, happy. At first it scared me, because I had never felt that way about anybody. But now, I can’t wait to live every single day with you. You are the love of my life,” she said, her arms still around his neck.

Conrad looked to her then to Mina, who was smirking and nodding before she turned the corner and tended to her guests. Nic smiled nervously, and Conrad brushed her hair back and brought his lips slowly to hers. They were interrupted, however, by a stream of people stumbling towards the door, shoo-ed out by Mina and Jessie. Conrad moved to stand, and he helped Nic up to his side.

“We should probably check these out, right?” Nic asked, leaning her head against Conrad’s shoulder and looking down at her bandaged hands.

“Luckily, you’re an NP who also just so happens to be dating a doctor,” he replied, kissing her cheek.

She blushed and smiled. “Can I stay over at your place tonight?” she asked.

“Of course,” he replied. “We can order your favorite takeout, watch a movie, clean all this off your face, get you into some comfy clothes,” he listed, snuggling her in closer.

“Mm, that sounds like heaven,” she whispered, closing her eyes and imagining her evening. “Oh, and I am going to add taking some pain killers to the list,” she added, gesturing to her hands.

“Noted,” he replied. “Ready to go?”

She nodded, and they followed the rest of the guests out of Mina’s apartment while Jessie offered to stay and help Mina clean up. Conrad held Nic the whole way out of Mina’s apartment building, and as he directed her to the passenger side of her car, she asked “wait, how did you get here? We drove to Chastain together.”

“I took the bus and ran,” he replied, giving her a kiss before he opened the door for her.

“Oh my God,” she whispered. “The closest bus stop is like two and a half miles away. You ran here from there?”

“Yep,” he said, popping the “p.” “Like I said, I’d do anything for you. Plus, I always like adding a little cardio to my days.”

She smiled, her eyes lingering over him for a moment. “You are amazing,” she added.

“Mm, I love you,” he responded.

“I love you, too,” she replied as she sat down in the car. Conrad pulled her seat belt over her so she didn’t have to use her hands, which were still stinging, and he planted a soft kiss on her forehead before stepping out of the car and closing her door. He got into the driver side and they began the drive to Conrad’s apartment.

“I saw my mother,” Nic whispered, breaking the silence in the car.

“Hm?” Conrad asked, confused by Nic’s statement.

“In my panic attack, I saw her. I desperately wanted to bring her back. I should have said something that night she felt warm. I feel her still inside of me—that feeling of her hot hand in mine. It burns. That night was the last time I saw her. I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t do anything about it. I let my mother die. I let my guard down and she was taken away from me. Every time I begin to feel short of breath, I think of her—that feeling of knowing something was wrong but being frozen and unable to do anything about it. My anxiety and ‘what if’s’ get the best of me, and my subconscious punishes me for being frozen then by freezing me in panic now. This time, I also saw Jessie and felt that same ill heat in her hands. I can usually pull myself out of my panic attacks, but this one was so strong. When it hit me that the same thing could happen to Jessie and I would just be there to watch, I couldn’t bring myself back. I was lost to my anxiety. Until you came in, of course. You showed me that warmth is healing, too. It’s not just sick. You were the only one capable of bringing me back from the demons in my own mind,” she said softly, her eyes slightly blank as she recounted the events of her traumatic night.

“I’m so sorry, Nic,” he whispered, one single tear rolling down his cheek.

She reached over to wipe it off, saying “hey, it’s okay. I’m okay now. Saying it out loud is helping me realize that I am being irrational, but it was how I was grieving. It feels like now she can rest peacefully, and I can breathe easier. I never knew how important telling these things to other people is. Thank you, always, for listening.”

“Thank you for telling me. You’re so strong,” he replied. “And _you_ overcame your anxiety tonight. Not me. You didn’t let it win. That’s pretty damn incredible, Nic. You’re incredible.”

She blushed and smiled, feeling her love pouring out of her chest as he parked along the street outside of his apartment building. As they entered his flat, he immediately dialed the number for Trina’s Taqueria and ordered Nic her favorite and got something for himself. “Thirty minutes,” he said, letting her know how long it would take for their delivery.

She nodded. “Thank you,” she replied as she took two pain-killers from Conrad’s bag.

“Now let’s see about getting you a bit more comfortable,” he said, smiling and taking the outer layer of her costume off.

“Mm, good luck,” she whispered. “It’s not going to be easy.”

“When have I ever shied away from a challenge?” he teased. She blushed as he started untying the back of her dress. “Well, I’m certainly not giving up now. Arms up.”

“Conrad I’m not—” she began, but he was already lifting her dress over her head. His eyes widened as he removed her dress completely and dropped it to the floor. “—wearing a bra,” she giggled.

“Damn, Nic,” he growled, drinking her in.

She blushed hard as his eyes wandered over her body. She certainly was not wearing a bra, and her little black panties on her lower half weren’t doing much to conceal anything. She cleared her throat, making his eyes snap up to hers.

“Did I ever tell you how absolutely gorgeous you are?” he asked, his voice deep and sultry.

“Mm, I think so… but I’d like for you to remind me,” she replied sensually as she took a step towards him.

He breathed a little harder as he traced his hands down her arms and wrapped them around her lower back. She placed her arms around his neck, interlacing her wrists behind his head, making sure not to touch her wounds. His hands moved slowly up and down her back as their lips found one another’s. He pushed her gently backwards, and they walked toward the sofa. She desperately wanted to touch him and hold him, but her bandaged hands wouldn’t allow it. She brushed her fingertips along the side of his face and down his chest, her extremely light touch making him shiver. He scooped her up, cradling her in his arms, making her giggle. He nuzzled his nose to hers as he smiled and laughed, loving that she was happy. He couldn’t get enough of the way her eyes lit up when she smiled. After seeing that light dim when she was having her panic attack, the fact that it was back brought him such relief and happiness. He laid her down gently onto the sofa, kissing her as he did.

“Wait here,” he whispered as he stood back and dashed across the room.

She smiled and propped herself up, stretching out her legs and closing her eyes. Conrad came back around with one of his hoodies—the softest one Nic loved so much—and a damp towel, and he sat down on the cushion by her head. She opened her eyes and put her head in his lap. She smiled when she saw that he had her favorite sweatshirt, and she sat up quickly. He had also exchanged his scrubs for a pair of sweatpants and a white t-shirt.

“I promised to make you comfortable, so I thought this would do the trick,” he said, gesturing towards the sweatshirt he was holding. “I mean… as much as I love _this_ ,” he gazed over her body once more, “I don’t want you getting cold, and my apartment is a bit drafty.”

“So thoughtful,” she breathed, feeling so much love. “Thank you, Conrad.”

“Please, Nic. No more ‘thank you’s,’” he replied. “You never have to thank me for loving you. I should be thanking you for letting me love you.”

“Oh, please,” she giggled. “Let’s just agree to disagree,” she winked.

He chuckled and placed the sweatshirt over her head, helping her be careful when she put her hands through the sleeves.

She sighed, snuggling in close to him as he began stroking her hair. “Mm, I love you, Conrad.”

“I love you, Nic,” he replied.

She moved her head to the side and noticed Conrad had a large blue smudge of makeup across his chest. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she giggled. “I got makeup all over your shirt.”

“It’s perfectly fine,” he chuckled, taking off his shirt and tossing it aside. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” he added, grabbing the damp towel and sitting her up facing him.

She smiled and closed her eyes, and he gently rubbed off the once gorgeous makeup from her face. Just as she was deemed completely clean, there was a knock at the door. Nic opened her eyes and reached over to give Conrad a sweet kiss.

“I’ll be right back,” he whispered, running his fingers through her hair and kissing her forehead before he stood up and walked to the door.

Nic watched him, his figure highlighted and illuminated by the kitchen lights that were still on. He was so caring, and she could see his love for her in all of his actions. She bit her lip as he spoke with the delivery-person. Listening to the sound of his voice always gave her goosebumps—she loved it. She could listen to him talk for hours, and it could be about anything, because watching his lips and listening to his voice made her shiver.

He thanked the delivery-person and closed his apartment door, turning around and walking back over to Nic. She watched his body move towards her, and as he placed the food on the coffee table and sat down next to her, she reached for him again, drawing his face towards hers and kissing him. He felt an underlying yearning, a need, a deep desire, for him burning in her, though her kiss was soft and sweet. She moved closer to him, pressing her body fully against his. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her even closer. She let a soft moan escape her, and Conrad exhaled deeply at her response. She pulled away for a brief moment, scanning him with her eyes, and she smiled. She took a deep breath and let her eyes fall as he brushed her hair with his fingers.

“How is your pain, Nic?” he asked gently, tilting her chin up so her eyes were back up meeting his.

“I’m great right now, Conrad, thank you,” she replied, kissing his cheek before she grabbed the takeout boxes and handed one to Conrad and kept the other.

“How about a movie?” he asked, his breath warm on her cheek.

“That sounds wonderful. Pick your favorite,” she replied.

“How do you feel about Christmas in October?” he asked.

“I feel pretty fantastic about it—I love Christmas! Are we watching Elf?” she giggled.

“Yes! If you want to,” he replied.

“I love that movie! I’d watch it even in July,” she said, laughing and snuggling back into him.

“Woah, that’s some hardcore Christmas spirit,” he teased.

“Wait until we have our first actual Christmas together,” she said, beaming.

“Mm, that sounds amazing,” he replied, looking down at her to see her blushing. “Spending Christmas with you sounds like my dream come true.”

“Mine, too,” she whispered, looking up to meet his eyes. Their lips met briefly, then they returned to snuggling and began eating and watching the movie.

Thinking about their future was a little scary, but knowing they both saw each other in it was a beautiful thing. Holidays, birthdays, and life-changing moments were all to be spent together, they dreamed. And not only that, but they saw each other for all the in-between little moments, too. Waking up in the morning, making meals, walking down the street—it was all a united future—Conrad and Nic. Together. Through anything. That’s love—their love.


End file.
